Switch for incandescent lamps.



Patented May 31, 1910.

J. A. MEBANE.

SWITCH FOR INOANDESGENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, mos.

JAMES A. MEBANEJOF SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 21, 1908.

Patented Ida 31, 191%. Serial Ho. $22,498.

To ollwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. Mneann, a citizen of the, United States,residing at South Boston, in the county of Halifax and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches forincandescent Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a socket or switch for incandescent lamps inwhich the switch may be operated by means of the usual rotatable key,also by means of suitable push rod, and also by a depending cord. I havefound by experience in installing incandescent lamps that a means forturning the light/on or off which will be convenient when the lamp islocated in one place, or at a particular height is very inconvenientwhenthe lamp is located at another point, and that to make the lamp equallyefficient no matter where located it is necessary that the mechanism forcompleting the circuit and lighting the lamp be operable either byturning a key, pulling a cord, or pushing a suitable push rod. If thelamp is held in a fixed bracket and at a convenient height the latter isthe most natural and easiest way of operating the switch. If the lamp iseither fixed or suspended at a height beyond easy reach it is necessaryfor convenience in turning the light on and oif that some otheroperating means should be so constructed that they may be operated bydrawing downwardly upon a cord.

The object of my invention is a switch making and breaking device soconstructed and arranged in an incandescent lamp socket that it may beoperated by any of the three methods mentioned above.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of mydevice, an inclosing casing being removed, said device being providedwith a key, a push rod and a cord. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line of Fig. 2 Fig 4 is a sectionon the line 4-4 of Fig 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig 3.Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of two co-acting ratchet disks, saiddisks being shown separated. Fig. 7 is a detail pcrspective view of theupper portion of a casing. Fig. 8 is a detail outer face view of amodified form of ratchet.

In constructing the device I employ the usual two part socket block 1 ofany suitable material, said block being divided into upper and lowerportions and cut out Wherever it may be found necessary in order toaccommodate those parts which i have added to the usual lamp mechanism.Vfithin this socket is the usual curved spring contact plate 2 which issecured in position in the lower half of the socket and cooperates witha contact plate 3'c arried by the upper half of the socket. It will beunderstood that from these contact plates 2 and 3 the electricalconnections are made in the usual manner. A shaft 4 passes through thesocket, and is provided at its outer end with a thumb piece 5 said shaftand thumb piece forming a rotatable key by means of which the circuitmay be made and broken in the usual manner. Upon the shaft 4 is looselymounted disk 6 having a ratchet face 6 upon one face and being providedwith a cam 7 upon its other face, said cam projecting equally uponopposite sides of the shaft -fl-. This cam rests within the curve of thespring contactplate 2 and when the ratchet 6 is given a quarter rotationwill lift said spring into engagement with the plate 3, but when the camis thrown into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the circuit completedby said contact plates will be broken. Keyed upon the shaft 4 is acoiiperating disk 8 having a ratchet face 9 engaging the face 6 of thefirst mentioned disk, the disk 8 when rotated in one direction turningthe disk 6, but when turned or rotated in the opposite direction theratchet faces of the disk slip, so that the disk 6 is only rotated whenthe disk 8 is rotated in one direction. The disk 8 has its inner facepartially cut out as shown at 8 and in said out out portion is looselypivoted a lever 10 which projects through a suitable slot formed in theupper portion ofthe socket 1 and is provided at its outer end wth'a pushrod 10 The disk 8 is also circumfereutially grooved as shown at 9 andadjacent the cut out portion 8", and above the same is fixed a smallperforated metal arm 11 which extends transversely across the peripheryof the disk 8, overhanging the groove 9, and to this arm is secured acord 12 which from the arm runs over the disk working in the groove 9,and this cord runs from the disk upon the side opposite the lever 10,and outwardly and downwardly through the side of the socket oppositethat upon which the push rod 10 is mounted. It will be obvious that thecord 12 when drawn downwardly will disk 6 in exactly the same directionas when Q 95am rotate the ratchet disk 8, and of course the the push rodis pushed inwardly. It will be understood that on outward movement ofthe rod 10 the ratchet disk 8 slips on the face of the disk 6, and doesnot rotate the latter.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a ratchet- 13 which is similar to the ratchetdisk 6 with the exception that it carries an S-Shaped cam upon its outerface in place of the cam 7, the last mentioned form being preferablewith some forms of spring contacts. The ratchet disks are held inengagement with each other by means of a coil spring 15 which ispreferably coiled about the shaft 4 and bears respectively upon thesides of the socket and upon the outer face of the disk 8, thus holdingthe ratchet face of said disk positively into engagement with theratchet face of the disk 6 when the push rod 10 is pushed inwardly orthe cord is drawn downwardly.

The socket mechanism above described is preferably inclosed in a twopart brass cap 16 the upper portion of which fits over the lower and theupper portion is provided with a bayonet slot 17 leaving a tongue 17*.\Yhen the upper portion of the casing is slipped upon the lower partgiving a partial rotation the tongue 17 slips into a slot cut in saidlower portion and rests beneath a tongue 18 formed by said slot andstuck out from the body portion of the casing.

In operating the lamp the circuit may be made by pushing in the rod 10,thus rotating the disks and causing the cam to lift the free end of thecontact spring 2 into engagement with the contact plate. 3. This willalso wind the spring 15 which is secured to the ratchet disk 8 and alsoto a side of' the housing, and as soon as the push rod 10 is releasedthe ratchet S willbe returned to its normal position, slipping upon theratchet 6. \Vhen the light is to be turned oil? it is also necessary toagain push. in the roi't 10 and another quarter-rotation of the diskswill bring the cam 7 back to the position shown in F 2 andflthusbreaking the circuit, and thespring 15 will again return the push rod 10to normal position, and

when again pushed inwardly the circuit will be again completed byanother halt-rotation l of the disks. If instead of pushing in the rod10 the cord 12 is ulled downwardly the same results are obtained, thedisks being given substantially a one-half rotation with each downwardpull of the cord, the disk 8 being brought back to normal position bythe spring 15 each time the cord is released. It will be noted thereforethat the light is turned ofiby a pull upon the cord or by pushing therod 1.0 and the lights are also turned on by exactly the same movement,the making and breaking of the circuit taking place alternately as thedisks are rotated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with an incandescent lamp socket, ot' a key shaft,co-acting ratchet disks mounted on said shaft, one of said disks beingkeyed to the shaft and the other being loose, a contact spring, a doublecam carried by the loose disk. and a push rod wm'king through the socketand pivotally connected to the keyed disk.

The combination with an incandescent lamp socket, oi a key-shaft passingtherethrough, a disk keyed to said shaft, a face of said disk beingpartially cut out and its periphery being grooved, a rod working throughthe'socket and pivotally connected to the cutout portion of said disk, acord also working through the socket, secured to the disk ainlrunuing inthe groove, a second disk loose. on the shaft and having a cam portion,and a contact spring inposition to be engaged by said cam, the diskshaving cooperating ratchet faces.

3. in an incandescent lamp socket, a grooved ratchet disk fixed on theshaft, a loose ratchet disk upon said shaft, cooperating with andoperated by the fixed disk, a contact spring, a double cam carried bysaid loose disk, and bearing on said. contact spring, a push rodpivotally connected to the fixed disk, and a flexible cable secured tothe pivotal point of said rod, and work- "ing in the gIOOVO of the disk.

JAMES A. lvlEBAh lil.

Witnesses L. M. BROOKE, it. B. McBsri-r.

